Of the contempt of all temporal honour.

From Thomas à Kempis, The Following of Christ, tr. Richard Challoner (15th ed., London: Keating, Brown and Co., 1819). Wording reflects its time. Public domain; the text is given word for word as printed.

1. My Son, take it not to heart, if thou seest others honoured and advanced, and thyself despised and debased.

Lift up thy heart to me in heaven, and thou wilt not be concerned at thy being contemned by men upon earth.

2. Lord, we are in blindness, and are quickly seduced by vanity. If I look well into myself, never was any injury done me by any creature; and therefore I cannot justly complain of thee.

For, because I have often and grievously sinned against thee, all creatures have reason to take up arms against me.

To me therefore confusion and contempt is justly due, but to thee praise, honour, and glory.

And unless I put myself in this disposition, to be willing to be despised and forsaken of all creatures, and to be esteemed nothing at all, I cannot arrive at inward peace and strength, nor be spiritually enlightened, nor fully united to thee.

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